Lily's Birth

My guess date was March 11th, and beginning the week before, I started having a lot of practice labour.  March 11th passed.  On Thursday my Dr. swept my membranes, and I also got acupuncture to help induce.  Some surges started again, but then stopped.  On Friday night I timed my surges between 2-5 minutes, they were not very strong at all and I ended up falling asleep.  On Saturday morning I woke up, the surges were very sporadic but they were getting stronger.  I called my family for a heads up.  Throughout the day the mild surges started getting closer together.  I laid in bed and listened to my relaxation CD and they went away.  I got up and they once again started.  We went for a walk later that afternoon and after the walk they were much stronger.  We came back and I laid down again.  I determined that this was in fact the real thing, the surges were coming closer together, but were still only moderate.  When they were two minutes apart we decided to go to the hospital. 

At 7:30 pm we went to the hospital, we were in triage and I was 4 cm dilated.  They decided that I was OK to stay.  A nurse came and took me to our birthing room.  I told the nurse that we were doing hypnobirthing, she was not very familiar with it so I gave a quick rundown.  She raised her eyebrows and said “interesting”.  My surges were very manageable.  I decided to go have a bath, the nurse ran my water for me…but it was cold.  So I drained the tub and had a much warmer one.  The nurse came and asked how I was doing, I told her fine.  She then proceeded to tell me that my uterus was not contracting very strongly and that she wanted to start a drip.  When I asked why she said that because my uterus wasn’t contracting very strongly, after delivery I was at risk for hemorrhaging.  She then proceeded to tell me “I realize you want to do hypnobirthing, but we could make this baby come faster with the drip.  In my 30 years of experience most women get the IV.  But take my experience how you want, maybe it’s not worth much to you…hahaha.”  I told her no, I do not want the drip.  After an hour the surges remained the same.  The nurse once tried to persuade me to get the drip again, as well as an enema.  I told her no thank-you once again.  She had called the Dr. in to examine me at about 11:30, I was still only 5 cm.  They wanted to augment my labour.  I told them the most I would do is letting them release my waters, which they did.  10 minutes after, the surges got a lot more intense.  I was still quite comfortable.  My husband and I did a lot of walking, I was very comfortable laying on my side as well.  My surges got stronger, my nurse went on a break, and we got an absolutely wonderful nurse who ran me a nice warm bath.  I spent the next couple hours in the tub.  When I was in the tub the surges were very intense.  My husband read from the script to help me relax, and what a big help that was!  I also used some visualization – the blue ribbon and the opening flower.  I started to doubt myself as to whether or not I could go through with a natural birth, my husband was so encouraging, telling me that I could do it.  I stayed in the tub for another hour listening to my husband. 

At 2:45 I decided that I could no longer be in the tub, the surges were very intense, and I requested an epidural.  The nurse checked me, and I was only 6cm dilated.  With my first delivery, I had to wait 3 hours for the anesthesiologist, but this time he was there in 5 minutes.  As I was hunched over getting the epidural, the surges were even more powerful.  When they asked if I felt any relief, I said “no…I feel like I have to push.”  I laid down again and they checked me, I was only 7 cm.  The urge to push was so strong…I switched to my birth breathing.  Every now and then I had a very strong urge to push and I would.  I felt no relief from the epidural.  They checked me again, and I was 9 cm.  They had me lay on my left side to get rid of the bit of cervix that still remained, as soon as I did that I felt the baby move down.  I went from 6 cm to 10cm dilated in 15 minutes.  There was still no relief from the epidural. I continued to breath the baby down.

At 3:08 am on March 15th, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lily Evelyn Anderson.  A whopping 10 lbs, 2 oz!!!  Thanks to the birth breathing, I did not tear, and I did not have to get any stitches!!  We only had to stay in the hospital for one night.  In the middle of the night, I remembered Marie telling us that there would be a point in our labour where we may think that we could not do it any longer – but that usually meant that the birthing would take place soon.  I wished I would have remembered that!!  My recovery from this delivery is so much better, and easier than my last.  Thank-you Marie for all of your help and guidance! 

Written by Kristin Anderson, March 2009